Western region. The few of us who have visited the Western region of Ghana, the one that existed before 2019 would attest to how blessed that region is. You can find almost any item that Ghana exports present in the beautiful region, excluding shea butter of course. There are oil deposits off the coast of Takoradi, palm and rubber plantations on your way to Tarkwa. Gold in Tarkwa , Prestea, Bibiani, and cocoa and timber in Sefwi (all the Sefwi prefixed towns).
One would wonder therefore why the roads in that region are that bad. Same region but it is more sensible to travel to Kumasi and then pick another car back into the region to your destination in the now Western north. Strange right? Western region represents the state of Ghana as a whole. God has blessed us with whatever it takes to become a country where dreams are achieved but here we are.
The Ghana Right After 1957
1957, March 6th. Nkrumah declares Ghana an independent state. We danced to great music. Great news, we are no longer under the Whiteman but ourselves. Everything is for us. We are accountable to ourselves.
I am sure these are statements that Ghanaians would have made in certain quarters. Three years later a census showed we were around 6.7 million. From the construction of the Akosombo dam to the establishment of secondary schools in almost every major town. The construction of the industrial enclave of Tema and the various state owned companies that handled our natural resources meant we had a plan.
Sixty years down the line and the Ghanaian deems the Ghanaian incapable of handling Ghanaian affairs therefore the Ghanaian sells all those state companies or hands them over to foreign private entities. A case in point is the handing over of Tema harbor to a private investor for over 10 years. Tema harbor is our largest port and the investor is going to be giving the state something less than 30% of its revenue.
When It Started Going Wrong
The coups after coup after coup only hinted that we were in for a hellish ride. The coups were an indication that everyone thought we deserved better or at least their families deserved better. I believe somewhere along the line, some groups of Africans watched the rate of development and growth of their nations and saw the need to create a cabal. This would be based on the fewer the merrier phrase. Making sure most of the resources in Africa get to just a few of the people by creating a fake political system that gives the impression that by working very hard you can also get to the top.
Isn’t it amazing that politicians have been seen as corrupt since Nkrumah? We are in 2022 and most of our politicians never met the politicians of the independence era. However, the current ones are still going on the same trajectory. It’s very easy to blame our state solely on political actors but the truth of the situation is, our character as a nation gave us those leaders.
A young individual seeks to find a place to live. (S)he goes through an agent who decides to show them some residential spaces that are not fit for humans to live. An agent takes you to such places so they can gain more from you. When you eventually find one you like, you pay them 10% of the total rent charged. We create spaces we ourselves wouldn’t live in but would want to rent it out to people at exorbitant prices because we know people need accommodation. Government agencies like State Housing Company builds apartments and sells them for the same prices private estate developers do.
Sitting in a trotro from Tema station to Osu or vice versa would always make you wonder how some vans got certified roadworthy. Is it just the engine and brakes that are relevant ? How about the arrangement of the seats and the rusted exposed metal surfaces ? It’s amazing.
I wanted some Hausa koko for breakfast. I walked to the dealer only to be told that the minimum price she sold the koko at was 1.50p. A jump of 50% from the previous week. All the accompaniments were also adjusted by 100%. That means I have to spend 5 cedis on koko. Why?
Anyway, that’s just a few of the sour indicators of how far we have dropped as a nation. The phrase “each man for himself” I think, should replace “freedom and justice” in the coat of arms.
There’s nothing like a National interest. We would have had a national development plan that we would followed religiously. What we have is a group of people who gather together because their personal interests align. Since only a few can lead the majority, they then come up with phrases in a book to rope in the masses to support their covered interests.
We need to examine our conscience, properly socialize our children and eliminate “each man for himself”. However, are you ready to let go of the privileges you are enjoying in this system to help make all of us benefit appropriately? I’m not sure you are but let’s all hope for a better Ghana.
